Defensive Line, Wide Receiver & Special Teams Depth

[KatoZenti]

I see that our depth at defensive line might be a concern according to one Hawkeye message board.

The wide receiver position needs some help.

The kickers & punters need some shoring up as well.

I went to see what graduate transfers are available as follows:

Brandon Tiassum 6’4” 305 Indianapolis, IN (Notre Dame) DT

Kevin Murphy 6’1” 288 West Chester, PA (UConn) DL

Eddie Zinn-Turner 6’2” 305 Canton, OH (Marist) DL

Jonathan Greenard 6’4” 262 Hiram, GA (Louisville) DE/LB

Shameik Blackshear 6’5” 270 Bluffton, SC (South Carolina) DE

Micah Dew-Treadway 6’4” 300 Bolingbrook, IL (Notre Dame) DL

Chigozie Nnoruka 6’2” 287 Sacramento, CA (UCLA) DL

Michael Tarbutt 6’0” 190 Grimsby, Ont. (UConn) K

Jack Pawloski 6’0” 188 Florence, SC (Elon) P

Anthony Reyes 5’10” 180 Queen Creek, AZ (Dixie State) K

Zane Cox 5’9” 190 Fremont, OH (Tennessee-Martin) P

Alex Galland 6’2” 200 Bakersfield, CA (Yale) P

Andrew Strauch 5’11” 170 Piedmont, CA (UCLA) K

Justice Shelton-Mosley 5’10” 195 Sacramento, CA (Harvard) WR

Tabari Hines 5’10” 175 Florence, SC (Oregon & Wake Forest) WR

Joey Fields 5’8” 170 Toms River, NJ (Central Connecticut State) WR

Alike Davis 6’2” 205 DeSoto, TX (BYU) WR

Greyson Bankhead 5’10” 160 Corona, CA (California) WR

KJ Osborn 6’2” 205 Ypsilanti, MI (Buffalo) WR

Lawrence Cager 6’5” 215 Towson, MD (Miami (FL)) WR

Any thoughts?

 

[StanziUSA]

I bet we get 0 of them. You should check the depth chart again.

 

[4thngoal]

I see that our depth at defensive line might be a concern according to one Hawkeye message board.
Any thoughts?

Yeah other hawkeye boards are dumb.

Seriously it would be nice to land a excellent wr.
Then shoot for a tandem of them next year.
Baby steps I guess.
But you never know, one thing we know is we always seem to have a player that just comes out of nowhere and goes on to excellence. Plus we are getting better with the ones we have.
Kicking game?? Didn't we decide we weren't doing that a couple of years ago?? It went MIA anyway.

 

[NikeHawk21]

Our Dline depth is fine for 2019. 2020 would be when it potentially becomes a concern. If Nelson returns you have 3 quality DEs in AJE, Nelson, and Golston. You’ll have Reiff, Lattimore and hopefully Nixon at DT, plus KF said Golston can play inside as well. You’ll also have Waggoner (DE) and Shannon (DT) who will be in their second years and have the potential to fight for play time.

We pretty much always can use WR help but not likely we will get any. I actually am somewhat optimistic about ISM, Smith, and Tracy for next year.

 

[4thngoal]

Our Dline depth is fine for 2019. 2020 would be when it potentially becomes a concern. If Nelson returns you have 3 quality DEs in AJE, Nelson, and Golston. You’ll have Reiff, Lattimore and hopefully Nixon at DT, plus KF said Golston can play inside as well. You’ll also have Waggoner (DE) and Shannon (DT) who will be in their second years and have the potential to fight for play time.

We pretty much always can use WR help but not likely we will get any. I actually am somewhat optimistic about ISM, Smith, and Tracy for next year.

Yeah it's been pretty quiet on NS and DN.
I have a feeling we are going to be pretty good for the next couple of years. Problem is, you have to accelerate training time and younger guys are going to have to be ready, because we have a few that will have the chance to leave early. Getting them ready to step up/in is just as much the players responsibility as the coaches. It's everyone's responsibility.

 

[NikeHawk21]

Yeah it's been pretty quiet on NS and DN.
I have a feeling we are going to be pretty good for the next couple of years. Problem is, you have to accelerate training time and younger guys are going to have to be ready, because we have a few that will have the chance to leave early. Getting them ready to step up/in is just as much the players responsibility as the coaches. It's everyone's responsibility.

I wouldn’t say it’s been quiet on DN. Actually we’ve heard on quite a few occasions that he looks really good. The question there is going to be if he’s eligible or not. On the broadcast of the Outback Bowl I saw Shannon and he certainly looked the part. The move of TL to center would suggest they are comfortable with depth there.

 

[Motigerhawk]

Next year is the year this program has been aiming for. KF wants 11 wins and then he retires, takes all that money Barta dumped in his lap and gets his son hired.

This has been in the works for a few seasons.

 

[HawkeyeDenis]

There has been a lot of rotation on the DL so there is some experience there. Not to say that Nelson, if he declares and Hesse won't be missed. AJ is a beast and he's going to draw attention. That helps the line overall. The other Nelson will get his share of sacks and tackles. The linebackers will have a year of experience, they will be better. Gervase, Hooker, if he declares will be missed but there are still some good DBs in the backfield.

Offense is more of a concern. If Hockenson declares, Iowa has very little experience at TE. No Hockenson, the defense can shift coverage to the outside. The counter is for Iowa to develop a running game. So far Iowa's two big 320 pound tackles haven't shown much run blocking ability. I mention these 320 pound monsters only because normally Iowa has one 320 pound lineman and he dominates. Gallery, Sherff, Buluga. This is Wirf and Jackson's third year. It's their time to dominate or disappoint. Not all of the running game problems are on Wirf and Jackson. Hockenson is a good blocking TE. Having two good blocking TE's would help.

It's going to be tough for Stanley to get 26 TDs without Hockenson, Fant, Easley this year. Smith and Smith-Marsette are emerging as good outside threats but without a TE or a running threat they will be ineffective. With no passing threat it's back to stacking the box.

 

[4thngoal]

I wouldn’t say it’s been quiet on DN. Actually we’ve heard on quite a few occasions that he looks really good. The question there is going to be if he’s eligible or not. On the broadcast of the Outback Bowl I saw Shannon and he certainly looked the part. The move of TL to center would suggest they are comfortable with depth there.

Agreed.

There has been a lot of rotation on the DL so there is some experience there. Not to say that Nelson, if he declares and Hesse won't be missed. AJ is a beast and he's going to draw attention. That helps the line overall. The other Nelson will get his share of sacks and tackles. The linebackers will have a year of experience, they will be better. Gervase, Hooker, if he declares will be missed but there are still some good DBs in the backfield.

Offense is more of a concern. If Hockenson declares, Iowa has very little experience at TE. No Hockenson, the defense can shift coverage to the outside. The counter is for Iowa to develop a running game. So far Iowa's two big 320 pound tackles haven't shown much run blocking ability. I mention these 320 pound monsters only because normally Iowa has one 320 pound lineman and he dominates. Gallery, Sherff, Buluga. This is Wirf and Jackson's third year. It's their time to dominate or disappoint. Not all of the running game problems are on Wirf and Jackson. Hockenson is a good blocking TE. Having two good blocking TE's would help.

It's going to be tough for Stanley to get 26 TDs without Hockenson, Fant, Easley this year. Smith and Smith-Marsette are emerging as good outside threats but without a TE or a running threat they will be ineffective. With no passing threat it's back to stacking the box.

Nobody had really heard of TJ a year ago either. A year before that, nobody had really heard of NF either.
I think we will take a pretty big step forward next year offensively. We had absolutely nobody to throw to after the GD incident. Even if we did Nate was young. Everyone has been daring us to throw it for two plus years now. That's tough to run against.
Yes we need for everyone to take a step forward and we need the younger guys to step it up, but that's every year in every sport in every program.
That's what the games are all about and what everyone signed up for.

 

[Caddy]

Next year is the year this program has been aiming for. KF wants 11 wins and then he retires, takes all that money Barta dumped in his lap and gets his son hired.

This has been in the works for a few seasons.

KF told you this? This program is not getting 11 wins next year lol. We mustered up 9 with the pathetic schedule this year, but somehow next year, after losing both tight ends that were the entire offense, we are gonna win 2 more games? Nope.

 

[BVHawk95]

KF told you this? This program is not getting 11 wins next year lol. We mustered up 9 with the pathetic schedule this year, but somehow next year, after losing both tight ends that were the entire offense, we are gonna win 2 more games? Nope.

"It's totally gonna happen this time guys, I'm super serious"

 

[MoseSchrute]

Next year is the year this program has been aiming for. KF wants 11 wins and then he retires, takes all that money Barta dumped in his lap and gets his son hired.

This has been in the works for a few seasons.

That would be quite an accomplishment considering the schedule.

 

[Motigerhawk]

Stanley a senior. 2 tackles that have lots of experience. A DL that will be good again, if not deep. RBs that have a year or more experience. LBs that will have a year under the or belts. DBs that will have lots of experience.

Losing Fant wasn’t a thought I’m sure. As losing Hock.

Also, you have KFs history, great season followed by a terrible season followed by 2 average seasons, followed by the next great season. That’s where we are. 2019 is the next great season.

KF 4.0.

 

[BVHawk95]

Stanley a senior. 2 tackles that have lots of experience. A DL that will be good again, if not deep. RBs that have a year or more experience. LBs that will have a year under the or belts. DBs that will have lots of experience.

Losing Fant wasn’t a thought I’m sure. As losing Hock.

Also, you have KFs history, great season followed by a terrible season followed by 2 average seasons, followed by the next great season. That’s where we are. 2019 is the next great season.

KF 4.0.

Not making a prediction, yet, but there's some spooky similarities between this year and 08. Super strong defense, a good team that finds ways to lose close games, an offense with a star player that finds ways to be one-dimensional, and a strong finish to the year with a top 25 ranking.

Hopefully we see a similar jump in the following season's wins as well.

 

[HawkeyeDenis]

Agreed.


Nobody had really heard of TJ a year ago either. A year before that, nobody had really heard of NF either.
I think we will take a pretty big step forward next year offensively. We had absolutely nobody to throw to after the GD incident. Even if we did Nate was young. Everyone has been daring us to throw it for two plus years now. That's tough to run against.
Yes we need for everyone to take a step forward and we need the younger guys to step it up, but that's every year in every sport in every program.
That's what the games are all about and what everyone signed up for.

In general, I am optimistic. Mostly I think if we see it, the coaches see it. They know what they need to do to be ready in 8 months. There are guys in the pipeline. Actually TJ was on the radar last year (2017) But he was overshadowed by Fant. Coming into this year, most figured that TJ would have a good year because he would benefit from the attention on Fant.
I like Iowa's running backs. I think they are good. Not Akrum good. But they are getting there. If the offensive line steps up they could have a monster year. Iowa got away without much of a running game this year, but with losing three play makers it will be tougher to get the ball down field.
As for the TE position without TJ though, Iowa will be back to two or three TE receptions a game. The TE position won't be the threat it was this year.